Block accuses Raimondo, Fung of engaging in destructive political games’

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Block said Thursday that two of his rivals — state General Treasurer Gina Raimondo and Cranston Mayor Allan Fung — are “engaging in destructive political games instead of working to solve the

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Block said Thursday that two of his rivals — state General Treasurer Gina Raimondo and Cranston Mayor Allan Fung — are “engaging in destructive political games instead of working to solve the state’s problems.”

Block, pointing to a Feb. 4 Wall Street Journal opinion piece, said Raimondo, a Democrat, was “literally playing politics with the financial security of retired state employees.”

He was referring to a recent decision of the State Investment Commission, which Raimondo chairs, to pull pension fund investments from a hedge fund that is managed by a trustee of a conservative New York think tank.

The hedge fund yielded a 24.7 percent return last year, according to the Wall Street Journal article.

Block criticized Fung, a Republican, for negotiating a police contract that was “too rich,” forcing the Democrat-controlled City Council to reject it.

“We’ve reached a real mess when Democrats on the council have to impose fiscal discipline on a Republican mayor,” Block said in a statement.

“The voters need to look at these actions,” he said, “and decide if either Treasurer Raimondo or Mayor Fung is strong enough and focused enough on the state’s real needs to be Governor — or whether they would continue in a long line of politicians who knuckle under to labor union special interests.”

Raimondo’s campaign manager, Eric Hyers, said in response: “Mr. Block has no idea what he is talking about. The State Investment Commission’s decision was simply a step toward reducing risk as part of the usual monitoring and managing of the retirement portfolio. Any suggestion otherwise is offensive and irresponsible.”

Fung’s political consultant, Patrick Sweeney, said the police contract gave the city added flexibility, by eliminating seniority as the basis for assigning “certain key positions,” and also reduced sick days, required active employees to “pay into retiree benefits” and raised employee “healthcare co-shares.”

“Obviously Ken has joined … the Cranston Democrats” with the aim of attacking “Mayor Fung’s record,” Sweeney said.